Isabel and the Wolf: (Part 4) (7 page)

“And if I was to stay with you? What does this mean?” He was silent for a long time.

“I could never ask you to be my mate.”

“Just for the sake of argument, what if I wanted to be?”

“You would want to come with me to Romania, to bear the children of a werewolf?”

“You’re right, that is pretty full on. Here, in the US, people – I mean human people – usually date each other for years before they figure out whether they’re suited, and decide to make things permanent.”

“I understand that. And I suppose, what I am asking for is the opportunity to date you like this. To continue enjoying our time with each other, and to continue to have very enjoyable sex.”

“But, at the same time, you’re going to
continue
to look for a werewolf mate?” Peter hung his head.

“I carry the whole burden of my family on my shoulders.”

“But you have brothers, who can share that with you?”

“I am the eldest. Do you know what that means?”

“Tell me.”

“It means that one day I will become the alpha of the pack – the leader. And for the alpha not to have progeny is unthinkable. In fact, there is a very real possibility that I would be forced out of the pack altogether.”

“I can’t imagine what that would be like.”

“Our rules must seem very harsh to humans, but they are critical to retaining the integrity of the pack, and in return, we receive security and a sense of belonging that has been absent from most of the communities I’ve visited around the world. And since I have my own rules that I must abide by, I wouldn’t expect you to date me exclusively. In fact, werewolves are not naturally monogamous, unless they’re mated.”

“That wasn’t at all the impression I got from you when you hurtled into the dance that night and attacked Jed,” she said, unable to keep a note of amusement out of her voice.

“I was jealous. I admit that. You were my first human female, and I was worried that I would lose you to Jed. I felt that he was intruding on my territory. I know that you have since coupled with him. But, from the fact that you’re here now, I am carrying a hope that you might still like me as well.”

Isabel stared deep into Peter’s eyes.

“I do still like you, Peter, but this is all very confusing for me. I need time to think.” He nodded.

“Of course. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

“I’m going to leave now, but can I get you anything – something from the supermarket? Or the drugstore?”

“No. That’s very kind, but I’m fine, thank you.”

Isabel turned and walked towards the front door. On the threshold, she paused and lifted her face towards his. He stooped to meet her, and she aimed a kiss at his cheek. He turned his head quickly and his mouth met hers instead. Against her will, she found her lips parting to him, her tongue touching against his. Once again, a bolt of electricity shot through her body. She pulled away, banging her back against the doorframe.

“No, Peter. Not now.”

“I’m sorry,” he said. They said goodbye, and, as she drove away, she could see him in her rearview mirror, watching her until she was out of sight.

A few minutes later, Isabel’s phone beeped with a voicemail alert. She sighed, not wanting to hear from anyone, but pulled over and listened to it nevertheless:

“Hey, chica! I’ve got some amazing news for both of us! I’m so excited! Call me back A-sap!”

Isabel’s spirits lifted. This was the only thing capable of taking the edge off her shock right now. She was on the point of calling Kara to find out what it was, but she carried on driving home instead, wanting to make herself comfortable so she could relax and enjoy the conversation.

But, as she arrived home, there was a patrol car in her driveway. She pulled in behind it and got out of her car wearily. She walked past it and up to her door with dragging steps.

“Josie told me that you know,” Jed said, from behind her. She turned to see him climbing out of the police car. Her subconscious registered that he looked great in his uniform, but her brain dismissed the thought. She crumpled onto her doorstep and looked at him. There was no way she was going to let him into her house. She was utterly drained by the things she’d heard over the past few hours, and just wanted to be alone to chat with Kara.

“She didn’t waste any time,” she said dully.

“I never wanted you to find out. And last night, when you ran away from me, I knew it was too late, but I was still hanging onto a shred of hope that you would dismiss it all as a silly idea – as humans usually do.”

“If I hadn’t met both you and Peter, I might have done. I might have just concluded that I was having a moment of insanity when I saw Peter transforming right in front of my eyes. But there were just too many coincidences.”

“I don’t know if I’m more mad at Josie for confirming your suspicions, or at Peter for coming here and messing everything up!” he said. “Gila was a special place. We maintained the integrity of our packs, preventing any outsiders from finding out about us. And then werewolves from around the world started hearing about us, and hoping we could help them to rejuvenate their perishing lines. But they’ve got no respect for the laws we’ve got in place, and they take careless risks!” He stopped abruptly, looking embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to rant. What’s done is done. But I need to ask you something very serious.” He turned his blazing blue and amber eyes on her, and she fought the urge to look away. “I’m asking you, if you care about Silver City, and about any of its inhabitants, could you please not mention this to anyone? I mean, anyone at all? Not even people you trust. The last thing we need is for it to become an open secret.”

“Kara pretty much knows. I told her all about what happened with Peter,” Isabel said warily.

“This is all his fault!” Jed shouted. “He’s not the first outsider to come here, but he’s caused more trouble than all the rest of them put together. I knew he was trouble as soon as I saw him, and I’ve had my eye on him for a long time. I
know
it was him who was seen running through the city that night. I just can’t prove it. If I could, he’d be out of here faster than a one-legged man in a butt-kicking competition!”

Isabel laughed loudly at his turn of phrase, relieved that it gave her an opportunity to hide her reaction to what he’d just said.
Could Jed really kick Peter out of town?

“He’s so goddamn arrogant,” he fumed. “He thinks because he comes from this
aristocratic
family from the ancient heartland, he can do whatever he wants here. And it just ain’t so!” He kicked at the gravel with the toe of his boot. “I don’t know how you can be with him, Bella. I really don’t. And I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking I’m jealous of him. But that’s not it. We werewolves don’t operate like that.
The rules are different for us. The were-females in our packs mate with many males.”

“But I’m not a werewolf,” she said.

“No.” He showed her the ghost of a smile. “But there’s no reason why you should tie yourself to narrow-minded human rules either, especially when you live in Silver City.”

“So – just for the sake of argument – you’d be fine about me dating you and another werewolf at the same time?”

“Bella, unless we were formally mated, I couldn’t make a claim on you. But I will say this: from the first time I saw you, I wanted you. But it was more than that. I wanted to date you, to get to know you.” His voice had become low and intimate, and Isabel found herself softening. Moving aside, she let him sit beside her on the step.

“I’m not your first human, am I?” Jed shook his head.

“No. You’re not the first human I’ve been with. But you are the first that I could imagine myself having a relationship with.”

“But how is that possible, when you must be looking for a mate?”

“It’s not so important for me. I have brothers, and, unlike most of the packs around the world, our family line isn’t sick. My parents aren’t putting pressure on me.”

She looked at him, thinking how different he was from Peter. He didn’t have that life-or-death intensity. He was just relaxed.

“It’s natural for you to desire both of us,” he said, eerily tuning into her thoughts. “And he’s a good-looking guy, I can appreciate that. Can I just urge you to think about the danger that he represents to our town, and the werewolves who have lived here for generations, and to think carefully about your choices?” Isabel nodded equivocally.

“Jed, I’ve taken on board everything you’ve just said. Now, I’m sorry, but I’m really tired, and I can’t think about anything right now.”

“Of course.” He stood up immediately. “I’m sorry to have intruded on you like this. I just came by to make sure you were ok, after I found out that Josie had told you. I’m sure it’ll take some getting used to, and I don’t want to push you. When you’re ready, just give me a call.” Isabel smiled and nodded, and he walked over to his car. As soon as she heard the clunk of his door closing, she pulled herself up and went inside her house.

She bolted the door and pulled the blinds and curtains in her living room. Then she went to the freezer and took out a tub of cookie dough ice cream and brought it to her bedroom. She stripped down to her underwear, climbed between her cool sheets and let out a sigh. There were some days when bed felt like the only safe place to be, and today was indisputably one of them. She opened the ice cream and swallowed one delicious spoonful, before picking up her laptop and Skyping Kara.

“Bella!” Kara yelled, then paused and frowned at the screen. “You look terrible, hon! What the hell’s happened?”

“I’ve been sworn to secrecy.”

“Ok, so I’ll have to guess.” It was a game they’d played before. “Peter did something to ruin your date with Jed?”

“Nope. Jed did that all by himself.” Kara cast her eyes upwards. Isabel knew she was probably thinking of some silly things and was trying hard not to voice them.

“Jed did something to put you off him?” Isabel nodded. “You had dinner at his place, so I can only conclude that you got to the ooh-là-là stage. So it was something sex-related?” Isabel nodded again. “I don’t think it was bad hygiene. He’s definitely not the type. He was too rough?”

“No, but you’re not a million miles away.”

“Hmm. He reminded you of Peter?” Isabel nodded vigorously.

“You’re not saying – ?” Kara gaped at the screen, unable to finish the sentence.

“Yes. I’m being hunted by wolves,” Isabel said, humorlessly. “Turns out it’s not just Peter. It’s Jed and Josie too.”

“What?” Please explain!”

“Peter is a werewolf. One of many in Silver City.”

“And Jed?”

“I should probably tell you the whole story from the beginning.”

“I’m listening.”

By the time Isabel had finished telling Kara, she felt quite a lot better, while Kara’s big blue eyes were wider than ever.

“So the secret of Silver City is even darker than we thought,” she said.

“And you don’t have a hard time believing all this stuff?”

“Well.” Kara took a swig of coffee. “It’s definitely up there with the weirder things I’ve heard this week. In a way, it seems crazy. But in another, the thought that there’s been this species existing alongside humans all this time, hiding in plain sight, carefully concealing itself. No, I actually don’t find that so incredible. The Native Americans believe it, and there have been so many clues throughout history. When you think about it, it’s kind of like… duh! How has it taken us so long to figure it out?” An intense look came into her eyes. “So, how far did you and Jed get before he started to remind you of someone else?”

“Pretty much all the way. He made me come, and then we were doing it missionary style.”

“And then he was like, I want to do you from behind?”

“Kara! It’s not funny.”

“No, but it is pretty hot. These two animal men, wanting to take you like a lady wolf!”

“What? No!” Isabel protested, but her clit was saying something else. It responded: yes; there was something primal and kind of appealing about it.

“And this Marianna has had her fair share of wolf-men?”

“Yeah. Sounds like she loved it!”

“And she’s lived to tell the tale.”

“Seems that way.”

“Interesting.” Kara looked at Isabel hard. “So what are you feeling now?”

“Like I want to get the hell out of Silver City. Permanently!”

“Ah.” Kara’s mouth became a straight line and the sparkle disappeared from her eyes. “Well. I hate to break this to you, but my good news kind of involved me moving here for two months, at least.”

“What? That’s – that’s amazing! So, you got a dig organized?”

“Yep. I applied to work on a few digs in New Mexico, and, one of them came through! There’s an opening in a week’s time, or as soon as I can make it, really. I’ll be working on some Aztec ruins, only an hour away from Silver City. It’s pretty cool. So, girlfriend, if you quit town, you’ll be leaving me high and dry. But we can stay in another town, closer to the dig, if you want?”

“I’m so glad you’ve organized to come over here, Kara! Please don’t think I’m not grateful,” Isabel said. “My mind is just in such a spin right now, I don’t know what to say. I think I’m in shock. I not only fainted at Josie’s place, I also kind of passed out in my car for a while afterwards.” Kara’s face was full of concern.

“Shit. That’s really not good, Bella. Hey, hang tight. Give me 24 hours to get my shit together, and I’ll be right over!”

“How can you get ready for such a long trip so quickly?”

“Hey, that’s my life these days. I need to be mobile. And there’s actually not much I need – just clothes and my equipment, which I keep together in a bag anyway.”

“And your apartment?”

“I’ll ask Kelley to sublet it for me and give her a cut of the rent – that was my plan anyway.”

“Thank you,” Isabel said. There was nothing else to say.

“Hey, take it easy. Don’t worry about anything, and don’t let any strange wolf-men into your house. Unless you want to, of course!” Isabel smiled. From somebody else, it might have seemed insensitive, but it was just Kara’s way of taking some of the weight off the situation. “And call me! Anytime!”